Tag: finnabair

Hello Everyone!

Art journaling is quickly becoming one of my favorite activities! I love creating quick little projects that help me grow and expand my abilities. I have this faux leather art journal page that I wanted to share with you.

I really wanted to start with a faux leather look for the background. So I took the tissue paper inserts from old patterns and Mod Podged that onto the page. Once it was dry I painted it all in browns and yellows to make it look like leather.

You can use different colors to create different looks, and you very the “wrinkly-ness” of the tissue paper to create different looks as well.

Once everything was dry I started to add all the details. I wanted the tiny book to be the focal point. You can see the video tutorial for the book here: Tiny Book

That tiny book was so much fun to make, and the perfect addition to my page.

I added string, torn up old book pages, doilies, chip boards, words, and butterflies. I added color with Finnabair’s mica flakes and a little water, that was really fun because it brought out the texture of the tissue paper and brought the page to life. Once everything was dry I light sprayed everything with some cheap hairspray to help seal the mica powders (otherwise it could all be brushed off)

There you go, a very easy faux leather journal page. I am thinking about doing this same technique on an old trunk. What else can I faux leather?

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Hello Everyone!

A couple of weekends ago I had the most magical, special weekend! I was able to take 4 mixed media classes from the amazing Finnabair! She is so wonderful and sweet and patient, and I learned a ton from her!

I did a try to keep my squeals and fan girling to a minimum, but I am not sure I succeeded, lol. It was just so awesome!

See here we are, bffs now, lol.

I am only kidding, but just a little bit. It was so nice to spend the time with her at Mojito Creek, a retreat in Colorado. I have been there before, and I love it there! You can read my review on the retreat here: Mojito Creek Review Link

At the end of this post I will add affiliate links to some of the supplies we used, but there was just too many to list all of them.

The first project we did is the Book of Rust. I loved learning more about the rust paste and how to use it and just to get better with it. I am going to incorporate more rust into my projects because I love the look of rusty old things.

The next project is the long skinny canvas with rust paste and patina. I loved learning about how to use the patina, I have the paint at home but I never use it. Now I know what it can do and I am excited to add this medium to my projects!

That wrapped up the classes for Friday. It was a long day full of learning and exploring and I was ready for bed that night! The next day we got up not too early and started our day learning how to do 2 more projects.

The first one was the journal. This picture is the cover we made, I don’t have a pic of it reassembled. But it did go back together nicely, lol. I love this journal and I have been using it to make art journal pages, which is so nice because I have missed making art journal pages.

The last project is the moonlight one. I have to say this is the one I was most excited to learn! I love the technique and the final canvas is just so pretty.

All of these projects were so much fun to make! And I actually finished all the projects while I was at Mojito Creek, so that was nice to actually come home with finished projects! If she comes to Colorado again I will be sure to sign up for her classes! This a dream come true and I can wait to incorporate what I learned into my projects!

Here is the list of some of the products I used (they are all affiliate links)

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Hello Everyone!

Today I have a fun, easy fabric frame project for you. I am still on a fabric kick, I have so many ideas using fabric and I can’t wait to share them with you.

For this project I used fabric I got from Annie’s Fabric Club. This is not sponsored, but I really like the fabric I got, and I am looking forward to next month’s fabric. Here is the link to the club if you are interested in joining: https://www.creativequiltersfabricclub.com/

Materials (with affiliate links):

Instructions:

Gather all your material including the fabric and your frame. The frame should have a wide enough border that gives you plenty of room to add fabric. The color of the frame doesn’t matter a lot because you will be covering it in fabric.

To get started cut your fabric in strips that are a little wider than your frame. Spread heavy gloss gel on the frame. Coat your fabric strip in Gloss gel and add to frame, crinkling it up as you go. While everything is wet take the time to get all the wrinkles and texture you are wanting.

Take your time and make sure it looks like what you are going for. Before you let your frame dry clean up the edges and back with a baby wipe. Let the frame dry. Once dry you can leave it at this step if you want, or you can go on to the next step which is adding paint.

After the fabric dried (leaving it over night is best) I dry brushed on a Finnabair Metallique and a Finnabair Sparks paint to add some detail and sparkle. I really love her paints and they add that bit of interest that I am looking for. .

And that is it, the frame is done! These are so much fun and easy to make, I think I will be making a lot more as gifts this year.

Instructions:

Start with an 11×14 canvas and cover it with old music. This is a great way to break up the background and start a canvas.

Now it is time to add color and texture. I used the Dina Wakley stencil and added glass beads to the bottom. Then I painted the sky with a few different blues and the snow with white. Don’t forget to paint the edges. for sparkle I added Mica powders and spread them out with water and let it drip to the bottom. Let this all dry before going on to the next step.

Now it is time to prep the tress. Find 3 different Christmas papers that will work for trees and cut them into triangles.

Then I used a gel stick to add color to the edges and smeared it in then I added a white line on top with a gel pen. This added dimension to the trees.

For the snowflakes I painted the wood cut out with liquid watercolors and then added some Finnabair wax on top. For the tree trunk I painted them with a Finnabair wax.

I glued it all on the canvas with hot glue then I added white splashes with watered down white acrylic paint. Seal it all with a spray sealer when you are done then hang it up and you decor is now complete!

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Hello Everyone!

Is there anyone out there still obsessed with Harry Potter? I love all the books and movies, and when I found the lantern that I used in this mixed media I knew what quote would work perfectly for it.

You will want texture, so for the grid stencil I used a dish mat and stenciled it on the background.

The find everything you can get your hands on and glue it down with modeling paste. I found broken toys (there are Hex Bugs and Bakugan and more in there) broken necklaces, bracelets, lace glow sticks, beads, buttons, and more. The lantern was a night light that I disassembled and added a cork for the bottom.

Remember, colors don’t matter because we will cover it all with black gesso.

Once you are happy with the placement cover everything with black gesso. Make sure you get in all the nooks and crannies and cover it well.

Now it is time to paint. I used metallic paints and painted near the light with brighter colors and went darker from there. I wanted to make sure the light was coming from the lantern and casting a glow on the rest of the painting.

For the quote I just printed it on my computer and adhered it to the painting. When everything was dry I sealed with a spray sealer.

And there you have it, a Harry Potter Mixed Media Canvas to show off your love of all things Harry Potter.

In case you missed my other Harry Potter inspired crafts you can see it here:

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Hello Everyone!

Fall is in the air and I am just loving it! I especially love seeing all the sunflowers, they are my favorite flowers! They are so pretty, and bright. Seeing all the sunflowers I was inspired to make a Sunflower Mixed Media Canvas.

Let me tell you how I made this canvas!

First I started with a canvas board and covered it with different ribbons (I adhered it with modeling paste), then I covered it all with black gesso.

I painted the canvas with a few different shades of blue acrylic paint. I loved how it looks like a sky, but it was a little bright, I did end up toning it down by the time I was finished.

Now it is time to add all the goodies!! I had this pack of rusty nails that I found in my Grandpa’s shop, I couldn’t pass up this great texture. (be careful if you are using rusty nails, I wore gloves and washed my hands often)

I added book pages, burlap, other metal items, flowers, hinges, clear round dots, keys, brads, hot glue, and anything else I could find. Just use what you have in your stash and around the house. I adhered it all with modeling paste (I tinted the paste with some brown acrylic paint).

Once everything was all dry I primed the elements with clear gesso then I sprinkled mica powder on (yellow in the flowers, green in the grass and stems, and blue in the sky) I added water to activate it and I loved the look. Once that was all dry I dry brushed acrylic paint all over to add more color and details.

I am in love with how it turned out! I used such a random assortment of products, I will list them all below for you. As always, let me know if you have and questions on this project.

These paints are just a great as the Sparks and and really live up to the name Metallic. They are beautiful colors with a great sheen to them.

Like the Sparks, they are a thinner consistency which is nice to highlighting things and it makes it easy to mix with other mediums.

Paints from the craft store are a thicker consistency, but both kinds have a nice metallic finish to them. I did compare the Finnabair paints to craft store paints and they all worked great. The Finnabair ones might have a little more shine to them, but they are all good choices. I think it comes down to consistency and what you are going to use them for.

Overall I am happy with my purchase, I am glad to have even more metallic paints in my stash. I seem to always go for the metallic and these are perfect.

For this project I used a lantern that I got at the dollar store (these are super cute just like this, but I just had to add my own touch to the lantern)

Then you just start dabbing on your paints with a make up sponge. I used the Finnabair Rust Pastes and I do like them! They add the right colors and texture to make it look like something rusted naturally.

Dab all around until you are happy with the the end look.

Here is the final product. I love this technique and I can’t wait to make something else rusty!

Also, I made a video of the process of making a rusty lantern if you want to check that out.

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Hello Everyone!

Today I have something a bit different, a product review. This will be a new feature on my blog and You Tube Channel. I think it is fun to review new products and see what is out there and how it compares to the current products.

FYI I did buy all of these paints with my own money and this is not a sponsored post.

Recently I saw this really sparkly, beautiful paints from Prima Marketing. They are called Sparks Acrylic paints from Finnabair. I love anything that sparkles so I figured this was right up my alley.

I did a swatch of all 9 colors on a black gessoed canvas board and a white gessoed canvas board just to see how they looked on each background. I have to say they are very pretty, but some looked better on the white and some looked better on the black.

The paint is a little thinner than a regular acrylic, but a little goes a long way. It is great for dry brushing and adding details and emphasis to certain areas. And it does live up to its name, it does sparkle. They are beautiful paints!

So I had to try them out on a project. I found this dragon at Goodwill (sorry I don’t have a before picture, but believe me it was ugly. It was almost every color of the rainbow, and the paint was chipping) So I added a layer of black gesso and then added the sparks paint on top. Much better, lol. The pictures don’t show all the beautiful sparkly nature of the paint, but it is there.

I think I am in love with the paint, I am glad I did purchase them and I can see using them a lot in the future.

I did a video review on them as well and you can check that out here:

What would you like me to review next? I love trying new products, it seems like there is always something new coming out

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I am excited to show you this new project that I just finished. A little while ago I went on a girls retreat to Mojito Creek. This is a wonderful cabin in Colorado that was the perfect place to craft and recharge and relax! While I was there Tanya from Free Heart taught a mixed media class. Tanya teaches Finnabair inspired mixed media techniques. Tanya is a awesome teacher! I was so much and I was so inspired from the class that I went home and started painting everything! I can’t wait to take another class and learn more techniques!

This is the angel that I just finished. She looks great on my mantle and I already have more ideas on what to do next.

Here is how I created this mixed media angel

Materials:

~ Angel (I found mine at the dollar store. Look for something that you like the overall look of, not necessary the colors because you will cover everything up)

~ The first thing you do is paint the angel with gesso. This will cover her and get her ready for paint. Then I added cheese cloth to her body as a dress. I adhered it to her with 3D Gloss Gel.

~ Then I decided that her wings were too smooth and plain so I mixed micro beads with 3D Gloss Gel and sponged it on to the wings. This added a wonderful texture that looks great on the wings.

~ Then I added rhinestones to the skirt for more texture and dimension, and I made a halo with some left over wire that I had lying around.

~ Once I had her all glued and textured she was ready for more gesso. I added about 1000 layers of black gesso. Just kidding, but I did add a lot of layers until everything was covered with black and ready for paint.

~ Once she was dry I started to paint her. This is the fun part, this is where all your hard work pays off. I mixed mica power with the soft gloss gel and went to town. I layered the paint and mixed colors until I liked the the look. For the star that she is holding I sponged on some glitter eye shadow.

~ Once I was happy with the look and she was dry I took her outside and sprayed a layer of a clear gloss coat.

When I took her outside to put the clear coat on and I noticed how she looked different in the sunlight. I love how the mica powder is amazing and so versatile.

This was tons of fun! I have already started on a different angel, I can’t wait to see how she will turn out!

Please note there are no affiliate links in this post. All the links are for your reference.

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